This invention relates to a hand-operated knitting machine and a method of casting on in a hand-operated knitting machine. The invention also relates to a knit article obtained by such a method.
Conventionally, casting on in a hand-operated knitting machine, which includes a plurality of individually movable knitting needles, with the initial formation of stitches on the knitting needles being effected using a specially provided device such as a cast on comb, a ravel cord, a cast on fabric or net, or the like. These conventional techniques, however, are disadvantageous in that substantial skill is required to successfully effect casting on by manual operations of such a device as a cast on comb and additionally, troublesome operations are necessary to remove the cast on comb or the like from an article being knit after the casting on has been completed.
These techniques commonly provide an open edge to a knit article so that, if a yarn at a first row of stitches at the edge is pulled, such stitches at the first row, and sometimes further stitches in succeeding rows, may be loosened. Accordingly, different techniques are preferably used which can provide a closed edge to a knit fabric which will not be loosened by a pull at a part thereof. One of such techniques includes winding of a yarn successively around the knitting needles. But this technique is also disadvantageous in that it requires extremely troublesome operations to draw a yarn to wind around one after another of the stem portions of a large number of operative knitting needles. Besides, if the yarn is wound too tightly around the knitting needles, back and forth movement of the knitting needles may be interfered with, thereby, resulting in the necessity of skill to attain successful casting on by this technique. If a knitting machine is designed as a toy knitter or a hobby knitter which is intended for use by children or beginners, consideration must be made for these circumstances.